Congo River Marathon

3.8 (5)
Edition history
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
01 Jun, 2025 (Sun)

Running

10 km, 21.1 km, 42.195 km

Price match guarantee
From
10 USD
01 Primary (Vertical)/Colour/Light background/Swish_Logo_Primary_Light-BG_SVG
Official registration partner of Congo River Marathon

About the event

Athletes, get ready to immerse yourself in a runner’s paradise with the Congo River Marathon. Known for delivering truly unique experiences, this event offers a Full Marathon of 42.195 km, a Half Marathon of 21.098 km, and a 10 km Fun Run. The route winds through the vibrant neighborhoods of Kinshasa, offering breathtaking views along the south bank of the Congo River. Whether you're tackling the full distance or opting for the 10K, every run provides a unique insight into this dynamic city.

Beyond the races, this edition is set to be the biggest celebration yet. Enjoy a Health & Fitness Expo, an unforgettable post-race gathering filled with music, festivities, and a rich community spirit. The Congo River Marathon not only challenges athletes but also offers a profound cultural experience in the heart of Kinshasa.

Enhance your marathon journey with exclusive Tourism Packages provided by our partner, Motherland Escapes. Explore Kinshasa's vibrant culture, experience the wildlife on safari, or retreat in safari tents across the savannah.

Run with purpose by raising funds for our charities: Malaika, Bombo Lumene, Friends of Bonobos, and Congolicious.

For international participants, we streamline the visa process by providing an invitation letter and the necessary documentation to secure your entry into Kinshasa.

Join us for an unparalleled athletic adventure that celebrates health, culture, and community spirit in the heart of Africa.

Races offered by this event

You have 11 weeks to prepare

Marathon

From

40 USD
01 Jun, 2025 (Sun)
Running

42.195 km

Solo
On site
Road
Flat
City
Capital
River
Eco friendly

Half-marathon

From

40 USD
01 Jun, 2025 (Sun)
Running

21.1 km

Solo
On site
Road
Flat
City
Capital
River
Eco friendly

10K

From

30 USD
01 Jun, 2025 (Sun)
Running

10 km

Solo
On site
Road
Flat
City
Capital
River
Eco friendly

Course details

Course highlights

10K - 1 Loup, Start / Finish: Blvd Thatshi (Round-about Pullman Hotel) 21K - 2 Loups 42K - 4 Loups

Start address

Boulevard Colonel Tshatshi, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Finish address

Boulevard Colonel Tshatshi, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

What’s included in entry

These are included in your entry
Finisher medal
digital-registr-pass
Massage
Custom bib number
Toilets
Cash prizes
E-certificate/e-diploma
Nutrition Stations
finishers-t-shirts
Expo entry
Drink Stations
Timing chip (single use)
Training program
Photo Service
Medical Assistance

Frequently Asked Questions

Reviews

3.8
5 Reviews
5
4
3
2
1
Write a review
user avatar
Jules BOLEBE
May 2024
10 km

Pour ma 4ème participation à l'évènement, j'ai été particulièrement content de cette édition. Le fait de voir les athlètes passer plusieurs fois devant nous, a été une nouveauté intéressante. Hâte de voir la prochaine édition.

C'est le minimum pour participer et ça permet de se maintenir en forme.

user avatar
Armel Nsashi
Country flag of CD
May 2024
21.098 km

En résumé, malgré ces quelques aspects négatifs, le semi-marathon du 1 juin 2024 a globalement été une expérience enrichissante et inspirante pour la plupart des participants, qui garderont certainement de précieux souvenirs de cette journée mémorable.

Ex: NSASHI Armel (BIB: 2185) L'expérience sur mon événement du semi-marathon du 1 juin 2024 ! Du Côté positif : L'événement du semi-marathon qui s'est déroulé le 1 juin 2024 a été une expérience exceptionnelle pour de nombreux participants. La météo était clémente, les coureurs étaient bien préparés et motivés, et l'ambiance était électrique avec les nationaux et les internationaux. Les bénévoles et les organisateurs ont fait un excellent travail pour assurer le bon déroulement de la course, en fournissant un soutien logistique et en veillant à la sécurité des participants. De plus, les paysages pittoresques et le parcours bien pensé ont permis aux coureurs de profiter pleinement de la course. Les coureurs ont repoussé leurs limites, se sont encouragés mutuellement et ont célébré leurs réalisations à la ligne d'arrivée. Personnellement je dois avouer que les internationaux (les Italiens, les Canadians, les États-Unien, les Britanniques, les Chinois, etc....) sont vraiment résistants, ils m'ont bleu fait !! Raffles tous les 10 premiers sur la ligne d'arrivée chez les Hommes et Femmes, Waouh. Beaucoup ont ressenti un sentiment de fierté et d'accomplissement en franchissant la ligne d'arrivée après avoir parcouru une telle distance. L'événement a également permis de promouvoir un mode de vie sain et actif, inspirant ainsi de nombreuses personnes à se lancer dans la course à pied et à adopter de saines habitudes de vie. Côté négatif : Cependant, malgré tous les aspects positifs de l'événement, quelques points négatifs ont également été notés. Certains coureurs ont signalé des problèmes d'organisation, tels que des retards au départ et la livraison du médaille pour tous les coureurs (être servi quelques jours après l'événement) , des points de ravitaillement insuffisants ou mal approvisionnés, ou des erreurs dans la signalisation du parcours. Ces problèmes logistiques ont pu affecter l'expérience de certains participants et ternir légèrement l'image de l'événement. De plus, quelques coureurs ont exprimé leur déception quant aux retards des médailles ou des récompenses remises aux finishers, estimant qu'elles ne reflétaient pas l'effort et l'engagement fournis pour terminer la course. Certains participants ont également regretté le manque de soutien et d'encouragement sur certaines portions du parcours, ce qui a pu rendre la course plus difficile pour nous.

user avatar
Keonhee Lee
Country flag of KR
Aug 2021
42.195 km

It was the first full marathon in the city, I guess. Better organized than I had expected. It was an excellent occasion to run the center of Kinshasa.

Two rounds between Pullman and Gare Central

user avatar
Chris Upchurch
10 km

While it sounds exciting to run the Congo River Marathon, the city does not prepare for it sufficiently. The day of the race, the roads were still open to cars and a street cleaner, meaning runners had to constantly be on alert and avoid the large clouds of dust when cars would pass. However, if you are the adventurous type and if you want to mark it off your list, go for it!

user avatar
Dan Owen
10 km

Fantastic marathon - only chance you'll get to run through the streets of Kinshasa! - hugely positive, fantastic camaderie, expertly organized event

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From
10 USD
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Read more
Interview

Behind the race - An insight into the Congo River Marathon with Race Directors Rolly Kayumba & Nancy Bachmann

11 Nov, 2021 (Thu)

Runners enjoying the inaugural Congo River Marathon in Kinshasa In this interview series, Ahotu will be speaking with the people behind some of the most unique races across the globe. We’ll be discussing the history of the event, challenges and how to overcome them, attracting sponsors, reaching new runners and more! Thanks for joining us. With the Congo River Marathon taking place just a few weeks ago, it’s great to take some time to hear how the first edition went. Could you briefly introduce yourself for those who aren’t familiar with you and your race? R; Sure. I am the Founder and Race Director of Congo River Marathon, a proud project of our company Endurance Sports Industry. Born and raised in the DR Congo, I carry a deep love for our country and care about its future. I strongly believe that running can be a positive influence on communities and that running with other people inspires and motivates you to push yourself. N; I am the Co-Founder and in charge of Marketing & Sponsoring. I’m originally from Berlin and Los Angeles with experience in publishing, travel and hospitality. I am motivated to raise our collective consciousness through purposeful experiences and promote wellbeing through the Congo River Marathon and our other events. What led to you creating the event and how did it all start? R; I’ve been a passionate runner since childhood. After living and working abroad for years, and taking part in several races in different countries, I was motivated to give Kinshasa a sports event to celebrate every year. It all started with a weekly 5k Sunday morning run back in December last year, and the idea grew from there. We hosted our first official 10k fun run at the end of March and only 5 months later the first edition of Congo River Marathon. N; I felt moved by Rolly’s idea to create and establish a marathon event from scratch in the heart of Africa, that becomes the largest annual sports event in the DR Congo where people from all over the world come together as one community, making running a collective experience and creating a more health-conscious society. Kinshasa is a huge city, what challenges did that present when organising the event in terms of the logistics and operations on race day? R; The biggest challenge for us were the Covid restrictions in Kinshasa and to get the authorization from the city in time. Originally, we planned the route through the whole city, but we had to adjust and could in the end only race in Gombe, the city centre of Kinshasa. We had a half marathon route, with those who ran the marathon doing two laps. Are there any changes you plan to make for next year’s event? R; Yes, for 2022 we changed the date to June instead of August, so the race date doesn’t interfere with summer holiday plans for our participants. N; We also want to focus more on the pre and post-race activities by offering coaching & training programs and having an expo with healthy food and an environment where participants can relax, connect and celebrate in a conscious way. Where did your runners come from for this edition? Was it a mainly national event or did you see have some international participation too? N; It was mostly a national event this year because of the travel restrictions, but we had 24 nationalities participating and some international athletes flying in from the USA, Poland and Kenya to run the first edition of Congo River Marathon. How is the mass-participation landscape in the DRC? Are there many mass-participation events across the country? R; We didn’t have really mass participation events in sports in the DR Congo before, especially not at a professional level. We are aiming to make this the flagship mass-participation event in the DR Congo and one of the leading marathons in Africa. Were you able to secure some partners / sponsors to help support the inaugural edition? N; We were lucky. Everything was last minute. We only received the authorization from the city 3 weeks prior to the race and were able to get Africell as the naming rights sponsor and Bracongo XXL and the Pullman Grand Hotel as lead sponsors. As well as traditional sponsors, Mwant Jet and Willfit who had partnered with us for our 10k fun runs as well as Los Angeles Cold Press and Moringa Star. What can runners expect from taking part in the Congo River Marathon? R; An unforgettable marathon experience in the heart of Africa, running through the tropical climate of the vibrant suburbs of Kinshasa and the beautiful scenery along the south bank of the second largest river in Africa, that was once a site of fishing and trading villages, and becoming now one of the world’s fastest growing megacities in the world. When is the next edition of the Congo River Marathon and are there any other events which runners should keep an eye out for? R; The second edition will take place on June 5th, 2022. We have a full event calendar until the end of this year and for next year with our monthly 10k fun run series, provincial fun runs in the country in Goma, Lubumbashi, Kolwezi and Matadi as well as kids & family runs, the International breakfast run in January and a Women’s only run in March. N; We are also interested in promoting health & wellness in general in the DR Congo and combining running with tourism as well as planning to publish the first edition of a new running magazine. Thanks for your time Rolly & Nancy. It’s been great to learn more about the race and story behind the event. We look forward to watching the Congo River Marathon continue to thrive and grow!‍ Interested in taking part? You can register for upcoming Trail Pursuit events on Ahotu – Congo River Marathon To feature in our interview series you can drop us an email on [email protected] Interested in promoting your race with World’s Marathons or Ahotu? Contact us on [email protected]
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